SARS says court erred in banning it from installing CCTV cameras in tobacco warehouses

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says the High Court in Pretoria misstepped by interdicting it from installing CCTV cameras at tobacco-manufacturing warehouses.

In 2022, SARS introduced a new rule allowing for surveillance in an effort to curb illicit activity in the industry.

But in May this year, the court interdicted its implementation after an application from the Fair-Trade Independent Tobacco Association and other tobacco manufacturers.

READ: SARS barred from installing CCTV cameras at tobacco-manufacturing warehouses

SARS wants to take its case to the Supreme Court of Appeal, while its application for leave to appeal was argued in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

SARS' position is that the High Court jumped the gun.

It argued that it was a mistake to grant the interdict when the new rule hadn’t been declared invalid, not yet at least.

SARS said the court should instead have found that unless and until a declaration of invalidity was made, the taxman had a right and indeed a duty to implement the new rule.

Proceedings have wrapped up and judgment is reserved.